Key Points

I dedicate this blog to my beloved sister Marilyn who has just undergone treatment for breast cancer 2020. With the knowledge that follows, I am hoping she will live a long life to enjoy her extended and loving family. Dr Rodney Lopez MBBS (University of Sydney) GradCertNutriMed (RMIT).

Please take the time to read and research what is being said below. I understand that nutritional science is not easy to grasp, and the molecular concepts are some of the hardest to comprehend in medical science. But still, it is vital to have this knowledge. It is for this reason that I have not "dumbed-down" this knowledge but made it easy enough with graphics and animations for individuals with a non-science background to understand. 

Breast cancer sends a shiver up every woman's spine. So, how can you decrease the risk? Doing the same old, will not help. Medicine follows an interventionist approach which means, we should simply wait for cancer to strike and then we will do something. This is an absurd approach when we know that the environment (diet, lifestyle, overweight, obesity, toxic exposures) can all contribute to the development of many cancers. The risk of these exposures in the creation of breast cancer cannot be argued by any sceptic or medical practitioner that wants to use the Slash, Burn or Poison (SBP) approach meaning that we use surgery, radiation or chemotherapy to control a potentially lethal cancerous change using sledgehammer approaches. Are these slash/burn/poison approaches important, absolutely! The trick with this SBP approach is to get cancer treated early enough to have a long-term impact. But what about preventative approaches that could save millions of lives long-term? What about saving society truckloads of money using preventative measures instead of intervention? 
This blog explains how to incorporate highly researched nutritional science to prevent cancers and to help decrease the risk of recurrence as a cure cannot be guaranteed by slash/burn/poison modalities of treatment. 

> 80% of Breast Cancer can be prevented (British Medical Journal, Nature Journal): That 80% of breast cancer can be prevented⁴¹ is a shocking statistic and a huge indictment on governments plus the medical and dietetic professions that don't shout this out loud and lobby vigorously for change to save millions of lives on this planet. That anyone doubts that diet causes cancer, let alone a countless number of other deadly diseases in society is staggering to me. I challenge any sceptic who has any disbelief that diet causes illness to eat carb-rich pizza, riddled with nitrate-drenched pepperoni, hot dogs and red meat till it comes out of their ears to perform research on themselves (N=1) and see the impact that a poor diet has on the human body. The dominating dietetic belief that food simply equals energy and micronutrients belongs to the Dark Ages now. We need to move completely beyond this highly simplified approach. 

> How does diet create such dangerous changes in cells such as cancer? Macronutrients have massive metabolic impacts after you eat that never seem to be taken into consideration and yet the weight of research can crush doctors. Each meal damages you and these after-eating (postprandial) injuries are cumulative over a lifetime not after just one meal. All meals trigger a range of hormonal changes and these hormones can have a powerful impact on cell multiplication (feast signalling). A staggering amount of research shows how food damages through newly discovered pathways like mTOR. Women with breast cancer face an existential threat and not drastically changing their diet and lifestyle factors means that thier destiny may be determined.The risk for breast cancer increases with weight gain, age, strong family history, dense breasts on mammography, sedentary lifestyles, atypical breast changes on biopsies, genetic predisposition, diabetes, insulin resistance, the Western Diet and abnormalities with the gut estrolobome which are organisms in the gut microbiome that produce beta-glucuronidase as discussed below. All of these factors do not equal your destiny. You can modify risk by making changes in your diet without delay. 

> Carbs (loads of glucose) cause a very sharp increase in breast cancer risk: 
What people don't understand is that CARBS = GLUCOSE. Carbohydrates are just glucose molecules linked in long chains. Carbs are an easy source of energy for cells in the body and energy-hungry organs like the brain. Soon after you eat any carb (glucose), the blood glucose level will rise to high levels and this triggers a hormonal response through Insulin. This feast signalling i.e. an abundance of food and energy for the body results in cell multiplication and if you have a cancer or had a cancer with a risk of recurrence, do you really want to pour fuel on the fire? We need to restrict this powerful drive for cell multiplication. 

There are some striking statistics with regard to carbohydrate intake and breast cancer risk^49,50. If you love your carbs which include bread, pasta, sweets, pastries, rice and other starchy grains, then you may want to consider the following: 

• A two-fold risk of recurrence if the carbohydrate intake stayed the same or increased after treatment⁴⁹ (In other words, you need to lower your carb intake after treatment)
• 70% more likely for breast cancer recurrence if the tumours tested positive for the IgF-1 receptor (Carbs greatly increase blood insulin and IgF-1 levels)
• A 5-fold (5x) risk of recurrence if the breast cancer was IgF-1 receptor positive and carbohydrate intake increased⁴⁹ (So a huge increase when you have IgF-1 receptors and your carb intake increases)

There are many ways to slash carbohydrate intakes that are clever and do not affect taste. A gradual weaning away from a high carbohydrate load to a much lower load that in fact can enrich your gut microbiome, is available through our Specialist Activ8Health Dietitians.

Remember, cancer is greatly associated with insulin resistance and diabetes both with high glucose levels after eating⁵¹. Cancer needs energy and carbs, protein and fat all provide a vast amount of energy for energy-hungry and energy-dependent cancers to keep on multiplying. 

>  High Insulin/IgF-1 levels drive mTOR cell multiplication pathway and many cancers: High-protein, High-fat, High-dairy, High starchy carb diets are the worst things you can do to drive Insulin-IgF-1 signalling and the mTOR cell multiplication pathway which is in overdrive with a Western diet³⁸. There is a strong, compelling base of animal and human evidence that shows overstimulation of mTOR causes rapid cell multiplication.

Powerful nutrient factors like L-Leucine, other branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) along with plenty of food energy from carbs/fats/dairy and protein will lead to rapid cell multiplication resulting in the accumulating of DNA breaks each time the cell divides. According to Professor David A Sinclair director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, he states in his book 'Lifespan', that more than 2 trillion breaks occur in cell DNA each day and that this is just from normal cell multiplication⁴².

Excessive intake of food stimulating the Insulin-IgF-1-mTOR signalling pathway is driving even more and more cell multiplication, and this, in turn, will result in trillions of more DNA breaks⁴². Abnormal and cancerous cells need energy and amino acids in large amounts to feed rapidly multiplying abnormal cells and a high-carb, Western type diet is riddled with copious amounts of energy and deficient in many micronutrients. A lack of any micronutrient will impair repair processes like DNA repair. 

> Having a solid dietary foundation is vital: To either prevent many cancers or to decrease the risk of recurrence, there are many extraordinary dietary approaches from increasing lignan intake to cruciferous vegetables and to ensure you have an optimal level of Vitamin-D, Selenium, Omega-3's, Choline and wide range of micronutrients and phytochemicals.

A one-size-fits-all approach will never do, and it it important to get a full dietary analysis to view the nutritional risks you are facing.

> Decreasing Weight & Waist Circumference:  Decreasing deep abdominal (visceral) fat needs to take priority. Please read how Activ8Health deals with this issue. Click Here  Deep abdominal (visceral) fat has an enzyme called aromatase that can convert Testosterone to Estrogen. Sad but true. This can decrease your libido because your body is 'chewing' up precious Testosterone that drives libido in both men and women, to create Estrogen that increases the risk of glandular cancers such as breast or prostate cancers and also heart and vascular disease. Losing weight through the guidance by a Specialist Activ8Health Dietitian will be a great start to decreasing risk of getting a breast cancer or recurrence. 

> Breast & prostate cancer share many similarities⁵²:  Breast and Prostate tissue share many similarities, and it is no wonder that any factor dangerous for one gland is hazardous for the other. 

> Estrogen as a target in preventing breast cancer- DIM - Sulforaphane: Estrogen has a strong association with breast (and prostate) cancer, and there are many targets in dietary management. An undeniable fact is that testosterone can be converted to estrogen by an aromatase enzyme in abdominal (visceral fat), i.e. the belly fat in men and women. An aromatase inhibitor is often given to women being treated for breast cancer. Being overweight with a lot of visceral fat will feed into this system as visceral fat is highly active with significant aromatase activity driving higher estrogen levels. Weight management is an obvious management approach and our wonderful Activ8Health Dietitians can help you here. Strong estrogens are also excreted, but unfortunately, you have gut microorganisms that produce an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase that split bound estrogen destined for excretion, thus freeing them to be reabsorbed and thus affect breast tissue. Glucaric acid is a compound derived from fruits and vegetables and the salt of glucaric acid called D-Glucarate can inhibit Beta-Glucuronidase strongly⁴⁵. DIM and Sulforaphane have been shown to assist biotransformation pathways that convert strong estrogens to weaker ones for excretion. There are many environmental compounds to avoid, that have xenoestrogenic effects, i.e. chemicals that can exert effects like estrogen on a responsive cell. BPA in plastic to perfumes, scents in candles or scent diffusers can have xenoestrogenic effects. To ignore estrogen and xenoestrogens in the pathogenesis of breast cancer is absolute folly as we are nothing more than pawns in our environment and to deal with any disease in humans as if they were removed from their environmental influences is an absurdity. The Activ8Health approach is to modify estrogenic impacts through a multi-targeted approach as described below. Estrogen also influences cardiovascular and so we cannot just concentrate on breast cancer and ignore other health risks. A personalised diet can greatly help to decrease the estrogenic effects on breast (and prostate) tissue.

> The POMI-T study³² showed a significant decrease in PSA in men with prostate cancer using safe, natural polyphenol-rich compounds (Broccoli, Pomegranate, Green Tea and Turmeric) used as a food source for countless millions of people:  As mentioned in this blog, what is good for the prostate is almost invariably good for the breast as these glandular organs share myriad similarities. 

The same polyphenol components have been studied extensively by many researchers and shown to be protective of breast cancer. 

A formulation that contains therapeutic doses of the polyphenolic compounds used in this study is available. 

Find a Specialist Practitioner and ask about a special formulation that is available that is rich in the POMI-T polyphenols. 

> Vitamin-D3 + Vitamin-K2 Optimisation: The majority of studies on Vitamin-D3 have shown a protective effect on cancer prevention, including Breast Cancer⁶⁹ and Prostate Cancer⁴⁷. A blatant bias of medical science is to use a powerful human-made pharmaceutical as monotherapy, i.e. as a single drug for treatment to produce immediate physiological effects. In nutritional science, this is naive and absurd as there is a synergistic and complex interaction of multiple nutrient components that provide an orchestrated cellular response. Vitamin-D3 should be used with Vitamin-K2 with the latter directing calcium to where it is needed.  Vitamins A-D-E-K are all fat-soluble and the Activ8Health foundation diet is designed to optimise all these components. What should be avoided is taking both Vitamin-D3 PLUS Calcium together as there is an increased risk of a type of colonic polyp that is precancerous. To learn more about this colonic polyp concern - Click Here Apart from this concern, anyone with a raised PSA and risk of Prostate Cancer should have their Vitamin-D3 level measured and to take a practitioner-only, high quality and standardized Vitamin-D3 and K2 formulation (discuss this with an Activ8Health Practitioner - see graphic link below). The idea is to optimise blood levels and not to have low or high levels of any vitamin or mineral. We are not using micronutrients as drugs and not using vitamins or minerals as monotherapy. 

> Boron: Is a vital, bioactive trace element that is protective of both prostate and breast cancer. Western diets are calorie (energy) rich but micronutrient poor. No wonder we as a society are riddled with chronic disease and so many cancers. Boron has been shown in research to be a potent inhibitor of PSA⁵⁷ a risk for men and may balance testosterone and estrogen in men and women. Boron is anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and important for hormone regulation and function^{58, 59}.  Vitamin-D has been shown to be protective against breast cancer and Boron has been shown to increase Calcitriol the active form of Vitamin-D levels by up to 80%²⁹. Boron decreases inflammatory markers like CRP²⁹. It is inflammation that drives many cancers⁴⁴. Western diets are deficient is so many of these trace elements and these micronutrient deficiencies are known to increase the risk of DNA damage and add to the toll of many cancers in society⁵³. We need at least 3 mg of Boron a day for positive effects³⁶. We get Boron in Vegetables and Fruit. However survey after survey on dietary health have shown that around 95% of the Australian population don't get anywhere near the intake of fruit and vegetables needed for micronutrient adequacy. It is not about boosting boron to supranormal levels but to ensure you are not deficient in this mineral that is proving more and more important for health. 

> Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and 5-HETE: Produced due to Omega-6 excess. Arachidonic Acid (AA) is derived from Omega-6 fatty acids and AA then builds up in cell membranes. These compounds are dangerous to both breast and prostate tissue. LTB4 and 5-HETE are produced from AA metabolism to possibly drive breast and prostate disease and cancer. Research published in Nature, has found a feedback loop involving the ERK1/2 pathway that promotes breast cancer⁴⁷. A natural compound from the plant Boswellia Serrata used in India for centuries in medical treatment has been shown to be an effective inhibitor of the 5-LOX enzyme shown in the animation opposite.  Bowellia either blocks the 5-LOX enzyme directly or indirectly through the 5-lipoxygenase activating proteins (FLAP). 

It is vital for you to know that LTB4 is derived from Arachidonic Acid (see animation opposite) and that Arachidonic Acid (AA) is produced from Omega-6 (inflammatory) fatty acids. These Omega-6 inflammatory fatty acids are found richly in animal meats, eggs, dairy, vegetable oils, fast foods, fried chips, pastries, processed meats and organ meats.

The body tries to overcome this Arachidonic Acid (AA) excess by increasing an enzyme called 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) . This 5-LOX pathway produces powerful inflammatory compounds in the body but in benign prostate hypertrophy (prostate enlargement) and in prostate cancer and breast cancer, LTB4 levels are high⁴⁸.

In fact there was a six-fold (6x) increase in 5-LOX mRNA in prostate cancer and a 2.2-Fold (2.2X) increase in levels of 5-HETE in prostate cancer tissue³⁹. In breast cancer patients, there was a 2-Fold increase in serum 5LOX⁷¹

5HETE protects cells from dying i.e. inhibits apoptosis and with abnormal prostate cells, you really do want abnormal cells to die! 

> Switching-OFF Inflammation with Omega-3's especially DHA and Choline: This is too Important to guess. We can measure Omega-6 and  Omega-3's that could be driving inflammation in your body.  

An abnormal Omega-6 to Omega-3 level is a terrible circumstance and consequence of poor Western diets that can drive many chronic diseases and cancers. So why the concern about Omega-6's? The reason is that a high level of Omega-6 fatty acids in the cell membranes produce inflammatory chemicals called eicosanoids. The Omega-6 fatty acids are in direct competition for the very same enzymes used to convert Omega-3's into anti-inflammatory eicosanoids.

Thus high levels of Omega-6's in cell membranes will prime all your cells for a heightened inflammatory response such as with a virus like COVID-19 or seasonal Influenza or any number of threats to the body.

The biggest contributors to your Omega-6 intake are 1) Animal meats 2) Cereals and cereal products 3) Vegetable oils and products derived from them. Without enough of the long-chain Omega-3 DHA in your diet, powerful inflammatory 'off-switches' such  as Resolvins, Maresins and Protectins derived from DHA will not be available to dampen down dangerous inflammation that is associated with malignant spread of cancer the so-called 'Malignant Flame⁴⁴'.

DHA + Choline exists as a supplement. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

> Choline and the 'Inflammatory Reflex via the Brain. The more I read about this essential nutrient which has to be acquired from the diet, the more I wonder why public health authorities don't shout out loud from the rooftops about the benefits of this important fatty compound.

Choline is not only vital for general health, but for critical changes in pregnancy regarding neural pathways in the developing foetal brain that is touted as significantly decreasing the risk of mental health disorders later in life including decreasing the risk of Schizophrenia²⁰.

An amazing finding recently is of a direct pathway via the Vagus nerve to the spleen an organ under the left rib edge that is vital for immune system responses. This brain-spleen anti-inflammatory reflex was described in an exciting new book 'The Inflamed Mind' by the Oxford University Don of Psychiatry Professor Ed Bullmore⁷².

The Vagus nerve works through a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine and as you can tell by the name of this neurotransmitter that choline is a vital component. This is a direct link from brain to spleen the purpose of which is for the brain to directly control inflammatory processes in the body.

This brain-to-spleen link has only been a recent discovery but makes sense as the brain controls virtually all our physiological processes so why not inflammation. We now know this is the case and that Choline is at the centre of this brain directed inflammatory control mechanism. 

> DHA (Omega-3) + Choline For Cell Function and Inflammation: DHA a long-chain Omega-3 fatty acid along with choline are critial for cell membranes to function and to dampen inflammation. A high dose, high quality, practitioner-only DHA + Choline supplement is available. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

> Optimising Your Omega-3 Intake by First Getting a Full Omega-3 Analysis: Breast cancer is driven by inflammation as is a multitude of diseases in the body affected by inflammatory processes⁴⁴. Aging is an inflammatory process itself. Don't guess if your body is inflamed - Analyse it. Technology now allows you to measure your Omega-6 and Omega-3 levels. By analyzing this in your body, you can fine-tune the amount of Omega-3 needed to truly dampen inflammatory processes in your body. Find an expert Activ8Health practitioner on this website to guide you. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner. 

> Lignans and Competitive Inhibition of Estrogen: The gut microbiome can convert certain compounds called lignans to weak estrogenic compounds such as Enterolactone and Enterodiol. CLICK HERE

What is known from extensive research is that a "significant inverse relationship" exists between enterolactone and breast cancer⁵⁷. So what is meant by the term "inverse"? This term is used to state that the higher the enterolactone levels are in the body, the lower the risk of breast cancer. This association has also been shown with prostate cancer.

The fact that enterolactone and enterodiol have estrogenic properties may seem counterproductive when Endometriosis, breast cancer and prostate cancer are driven by estrogen but, paradoxically, these weak estrogens can compete for the more powerful forms of estrogen at the receptor level thus blocking the effects of strong estrogens (see animation). Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

Increasing lignans can be achieved through dietary and supplementary means. Our highly qualified Activ8Health Dietitians can guide you towards the consumption of a high-lignan diet and also have a look at the comprehensive supplement recommended that has powerful lignan compounds. 

> Vitamin-D3 + Vitamin-K2 Optimisation: The majority of studies on Vitamin-D3 have shown a protective effect on cancer prevention, including Prostate Cancer⁴⁶.  A study of 5,984 individuals showed a 33% decrease in mortality with increasing levels of Vitamin-D⁴⁵. The aim would be to have a level of around 80 nmol/L so not high but in the higher part of the blood reference range for this vitamin.  Look under Supportive Supplements below and discuss this with an Activ8Health Dietitian. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

> Magnesium Threonate: Around 70% of people may be magnesium deficient⁴⁴. Magnesium is critical for insulin to function through insulin receptor signalling. Diabetes and MetS (Insulin Resistance) are associated with a multitude of cancers⁵⁵. Because magnesium is so critical for insulin function and because magnesium deficiency is so very common, it makes sense to supplement with this vital mineral. Without enough magnesium in your body, you risk many medical problems. Ensure you provide the insulin receptor with the magnesium it needs to function properly.  It is known that magnesium has an inverse relationship with the highly researched inflammatory markers, hsCRP and IL-6 as shown in a large and very long 20-year study in young American adults⁴³. In other words, the higher the magnesium level is in your body, the lower these inflammatory markers. Magnesium Threonate (MgT) is a type of magnesium that has been researched by the MIT and has been shown to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and is a highly bioavailable form of magnesium. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

> Natural aromatase inhibitors: Compounds like Quercetin, Grape Seed Polyphenols and Resveratrol have been shown to have natural aromatase enzyme inhibition action. This helps keep testosterone from being converted to estrogen by this enzyme and thus beneficial for both men and women. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

> Mixed Carotenoids. A range of mixed carotenoids (Alpha-Carotene; Beta-Carotene; Gamma-Carotene; Lycopene) all have protective roles in many tissues including effects against skin cancer³⁰. These compounds that can decrease the effect of inflammation and some of these carotenoids can be converted to Vitamin-A protective of the linings of organ systems like the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, nasal cavity. Large studies at Harvard University have also shown a higher carotenoid intake may significantly decrease the risk for skin cancer. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

> Precision Nutrition (see animation below): Health will be difficult to obtain without a solid dietary foundation. The one-size-fits-all approach is dead-in-the-water as both nutrition and medicine are moving swiftly towards a personalised approach as each person has an entirely different genetic makeup and microbiome to anyone else on the planet. Thus generalized approaches are now becoming rapidly redundant when billions of dollars have been spent on moving personalised medicine forward. At the very least, getting a Dietary Analysis by one of our highly specialised Activ8Health Dietitians will allow us to see what it is that you are putting in your mouth. If you are very truthful with your dietary inputs then we should get a great idea of your strengths and importantly your weaknesses in nutrient intake. Discuss this with a member of our team. Scroll up to see the link to 'Find Practitioners'. Discuss this with a Specialist Activ8Health Practitioner.

Learn More Button: Click on the 'Learn More' button under the 'Supplement Panel' and discover what you can do to switch off inflammation by maximising Omega-3 intake. It is wise to get a full Omega-6, Omega-3 analysis as this can help us target management (discuss this with an Activ8Health practitioner). A large number of ignored yet powerful anti-inflammatory compounds also exist like N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC). A full complement of essential fatty acids can help significantly to optimise cell membranes, with a higher intake of DHA and Choline that are great nutrient allies in the fight against inflammation. Ensuring you have all the essential micronutrients to 'fill in the gaps' is our target as this will give your body the best chance to overcome disease processes by functioning optimally in a biochemical, immune and molecular sense.

Medicine can be so much more if fundamental researched-based understandings of molecular micronutrient action can be used at the coalface of medicine as adjunctive treatment for common clinical conditions.